Wiarton Willie, beloved weather-predicting groundhog, dies
· Toronto Sun
Wiarton Willie, the beloved weather-prognosticating groundhog of South Bruce Peninsula, died in his sleep early Tuesday, just over a month after not seeing his shadow on Groundhog Day .
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The groundhog had replaced other Wiarton Willies who died over the years, carrying out the Groundhog Day tradition and celebrations in Wiarton that attracted thousands of people every year.
According to legend, there will be six more weeks of winter if a groundhog sees their shadow on Feb. 2, and an early spring if they don’t.
South Bruce Peninsula says it will now begin the search for a new prognosticator.
“Willie brought people together in the heart of winter to celebrate a tradition that put Wiarton on the map,” Mayor Jay Kirkland said in a statement. “While we are saddened by the passing, we are grateful for the memories created and the pride brought to our town.
“Willie will always hold a special place in the story of South Bruce Peninsula.”
Willie came to Ontario from Ohio
The groundhog arrived at the municipality from Cleveland, Ohio in 2022, at the tail end of the COVID pandemic. Town officials called him a “curious and charismatic groundhog who delighted both residents and visitors. Willie enjoyed basking in the summer sun, taking long winter naps, and indulging in favourite foods.”
It was believed the latest Wiarton Willie was a year old when he arrived, replacing a brown groundhog who made the prediction at the February 2022 Wiarton Willie Festival, which went online due to the pandemic.
Wiarton tradition’s wild history
A past Wiarton Willie festival made national headlines after former South Bruce Peninsula mayor Janice Jackson recorded a groundhog-less prediction in 2021 by throwing a fur hat in the snow — a callback to the festival’s founding in 1956. The stunt prompted speculation that Wiarton Willie had died, which was confirmed in 2021. That Willie reportedly died of a tooth abscess.
A 1999 Wiarton Willie froze to death days before the festival was to begin. In his place, festival organizers brought out a stuffed rodent in a casket, horrifying the children attending.
This most recent Willie liked to please the crowds by always predicting an early spring.
— With files from The Canadian Press